Have we peaked yet?
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) recently hiked interest rates by another 125 basis points, bringing the benchmark policy rate to a nice round...
The evolving middle-east geopolitical chessboard
U.S. President Joe Biden this week travels to the Middle East where he will meet leaders of Israel and nine Arab States, including Saudi...
Hot N Cold (The SBP’s Version)
The SBP has been moody lately. They’ve been changing their mind constantly, releasing confusing monetary policy statements, and have failed to communicate effectively. Understanding...
Winter is coming for the startups
“Winter is coming. We know what’s coming with it.” This line from the television show Game of Thrones, which is based on the iconic...
Exhausting the taxed
Pakistan has had a consistently low tax-GDP ratio for decades, staying below peer countries and barely touching 12 percent in a boom year, only...
Paper cut
Commodity prices don’t increase in isolation, they mostly move in tandem. Just like the butterfly effect wherein a butterfly fluttering its wings can lead...
A Freu-Darian slip of the tongue?
An Ishaq Dar shaped shadow hangs over Miftah Ismail and all of us
Failing to communicating
Clarity and consistency. These are two of the most important elements of crisis communications, especially during an economic crisis. Given the fact that economic...
Slow rockets and fast feathers: Why exports fall fast but increase slowly after exchange rate changes
There’s no exportable surplus.
That is the typical response you get from private sector and policy makers alike when you ask why Pakistani exports don’t...
A primer on refinery margins
To a casual observer, refining is a boring and largely commoditized business often exposed to volatility in commodity prices. During the last few months,...
What imperils the mobile phone industry?
Another day another industry raising its voice about issues it is facing with regards to doing business in Pakistan. It is a common enough...
Corporate lies
“A lie can run round the world before the truth has got its boots on.”- Terry Pratchett
Organizations have to constantly deal with a myriad...
The global financing crunch is here. How will it impact Pakistan?
What do turbulence in the global economy and the plunge in tech valuations imply for Pakistan’s emerging startup ecosystem? Let us evaluate. In short,...
A cruel summer ahead
There are lessons that we can take from the past.
Can coalitions push through reforms?
There is a generally held belief in Pakistan, especially among many within and around the corridors of power, that the country needs a strong...
